Paisley

Shilpa Ray

This was the track that got me. I was 4 years old when I heard this song. There was a story about him on the evening news and I told my mom I was gonna marry him. Why not? He looked like me. He had brown skin, black hair, big dark eyes and the longest lashes. Watching Purple Rain as an adult I was floored that I was allowed to watch it at all as a child. I didn’t remember it being so sexual. All my 4 year old self could absorb was that in the TV there was a world where you could get up on stage, wear glamorous clothes, and be surrounded by beautiful babes. I watched the older girls in my parent’s friend circle copping Appolonia’s style—big 80’s hair, purple shadow and bright red lips. She was a whole lot of woman, and Prince was the magic man from outer space. Those were good times. RIP

Ever watch the video of this song on the Kenny Rogers show? It’s sublime. A wholesome white couple, seemingly Jesus loving hippies, singing a song about where evil grows. I first heard this track while working the door at Pianos this past winter. My friend, DJ Andy Haynes, a connoisseur of creepy music, was spinning that night and the lyrics to this grabbed me. “Evil grew. It’s part of you and now it seems to be that every time I look at you evil grows in me.” Like I said, really creepy.